----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Peter J Smallidge <[email protected]>
To: CCE-FORESTRY-L <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 1:43 PM
Subject: Women and their Woods, new Penn State educational program
FYI, see below. This looks like a good opportunity. Note the August
1 deadline for applications. Please share broadly.
Peter
Women and their Woods: Building a Network of Women Forest Landowners
Throughout our region, women are increasingly responsible for the
care and stewardship of private forestlands; they outlive spouses,
inherit forestland from parents, or just seek their own woodlot. Yet
these women may often lack the confidence, knowledge, and access to
resources that allow them to be successful. Anecdotally, resource
professionals report few interactions with women landowners until
after something adverse has happened to the land. This puts women at
higher personal economic risk, which results not only in poor
management of resources, but high likelihood of the sale and
conversion of working land to a non-forest use such as development.
A study of forest landowner offspring conducted for the National
Association of State Foresters showed that 83% of women sampled were
interested in managing their family forestland when transfer
occurred, but only 34% felt they had enough knowledge to make forest
management decisions (Mater 2005). Mater showed that women offspring
and beginning women managers often had different land management
objectives than their male counterparts; women expressed a stronger
commitment to ecology and stewardship, but lacked the confidence and
economic resources to implement their goals. Other studies have shown
that for women a major barrier to involvement with forestry
organizations is a feeling of not being welcome and a perception of
lacking in basic vocabulary and knowledge which makes attending
meetings intimidating. Despite increased gender-equity in recent
years as more women become natural resources professionals, the field
of forestry, and the resources needed to practice it, is still male-dominated.
Faced with the need to make decisions about their lands, women are
seeking information in other formats on how to care for and manage
their land. Many find that being involved in a woodland owner network
or otherwise linked to professional resources provides necessary
information regarding conservation options available. Others aren't
sure where to start in seeking out resources to care for their land.
A desire to be more connected and learn with and from other women in
similar land management roles has led a group of women forest
landowners in northeast Pennsylvania to form Women and their Woods.
In 2008, with the support of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy and
the USDA Forest Service at Grey Towers, a group of women landowners
met to learn more about the forests they own and how to connect with
other women forest landowners. During each meeting, women gather,
share information, ask questions, meet professionals, and enjoy a
hearty potluck. Everyone walks away from the event with more
confidence and ideas on how to better care for their land. In
addition to providing information, the Women and their Woods program
seeks to instill a sense of stewardship and knowledge about the value
of intact forestland.
With an increased interest in promoting educational opportunities for
women forest landowners, the Conservancy and Penn State's Natural
Resources Extension, with funding from the PA Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources and the USDA Forest Service, are
offering outreach and education to women forest landowners across
Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region. In addition to informative
newsletters and emails about events and cost share incentive
programs, the partnership is offering a long-weekend educational
retreat for women forest landowners from October 13-16.
We invite women who own or manage forestland to join us for a weekend
full of educational programs related to the care and management of
forestland. We are seeking interested women to be a part of this
opportunity to create a network and serve as mentors to other women
forest landowners across the region.
The cost to attend the four day retreat is $130 and covers all
lodging and meals, all materials, and nationally known presenters at
Camp Susque near Trout Run, Lycoming County, in the scenic
Pennsylvania Wilds. The deadline to submit applications is August 1, 2011.
Post retreat, attendees will be encouraged to reach out to other
women landowners and share their knowledge about the Women and their
Woods program in their own community, with the goal of forming
regional networking groups for women forest landowners across the
region. Through ongoing trainings and meetings, these groups will
continue to receive the support of Extension and the Conservancy.
If you are interested in being involved with the Women and their
Woods group, contact Allyson Muth at Penn State (814-865-3208,
<https://exchange.cornell.edu/owa/https://exchange.cornell.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=32753fcbb7a5474490552ab38ca02b25&URL=mailto%3aabm173%40psu.edu>[email protected])
for an application or for more information.
Mater, C.M. 2005. Family forests: What will the next generation do?
Address to the National Association of State Foresters. Available
online at
<https://exchange.cornell.edu/owa/https://exchange.cornell.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=32753fcbb7a5474490552ab38ca02b25&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pinchot.org%2f%3fmodule%3duploads%26func%3ddownload%26fileId%3d52>www.pinchot.org/?module=uploads&func=download&fileId=52.
Allyson Brownlee Muth, Ed.D.
Forest Stewardship Program Associate
The Pennsylvania State University
333 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 865-3208
_______________________________________________
FingerLakesPermaculture mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/fingerlakespermaculture
Visit http://FLXpermaculture.Net to manage your subscription.
